PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY—CHEMICAL PHYSICS
RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND ORAL EXAMINATION—PHD REQUIREMENT
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PhD Candidates are required to attend the Woodward Lecture Series in Chemical Sciences / Physical Chemistry Seminars during their first year of graduate studies in conjunction with the Seminar course Chemistry 300P.

Chemistry 300P is also recommended for Candidates in their second year of graduate studies.

1. Provide the PhD Candidate with an opportunity to develop and present research ideas and results in a professional setting.
2. Interact with Faculty via the Seminar discussions and presentations, and specifically, to address the Department's interest in increasing connectedness.
3. Encourage and foster in-depth analysis and advice by additional Faculty Members regarding the Candidate's proposed research.

1. A Committee of three Faculty Members, one of whom is the Candidate's Research Advisor, will be constituted by the Monday prior to Thanksgiving, (e.g., for the 2007-08 academic year, Monday, November 19, 2007) of the second year of studies.
1. Committee Members are to be selected and finalized with the Candidate's Research Advisor and will become the Candidates Graduate Advising Committee (GAC).
2. An independently conceived research proposal is to be developed by the Candidate during the first semester of his/her second year of studies.
1. The topic of the research proposal may or may not coincide with the topic of the Candidate's thesis, however, the content must be well-thought out and original.
3. A written draft of the proposal must be submitted to the Candidate's Committee no later than February 1st.
1. Draft requirements are as follows: not to exceed five pages; single-spaced; twelve-point font; one-inch margins.
4. An oral presentation of this research proposal will be given by the Candidate to the Committee no later than June 15th of their second year.
1. The oral exam is expected to be 60 to 90 minutes in duration, inclusive of the discussion and questions about the Candidate's proposal, and pertinent fundamental concepts.
5. Candidate's should consult their Faculty Advisor well in advance of the oral examination deadline date, the final Friday in May (e.g., for the 2007-08 academic year, Friday, May 30, 2007), to schedule their oral exam with all GAC members.
1. Final proposal must be submitted to his/her Committee no later than April 30th of their second year;
2. Department Office will assist in the scheduling, if necessary.
6. A Candidate's proposal and presentation will be judged on a pass/fail basis.
1. In the event that a Candidate's proposal and presentation results as a fail;
1. s/he will be expected to present a satisfactory revision and/or oral defense no later than December 1st of his/her third year;
2. revision(s) will be made in consultation with all Committee Members.

Grading Sheet

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND ORAL EXAMINATION—PHD REQUIREMENT
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1. Provide PhD Candidates with an opportunity to think deeply and creatively about a significant problem in Organic Chemistry/Chemical Biology, and propose how that problem can be addressed experimentally.
2. Provide PhD Candidates with an opportunity to develop their writing skills by preparing a clear and concise scientific document.
3. Provide PhD Candidates with an opportunity to develop oral presentation skills and scientific discourse.
4. Provide PhD Candidates with a formalized mechanism for students to receive constructive, critical feedback from Faculty Members.

Written Proposals

1. In their second year, it is advised that a Candidate write a draft research proposal of no more than five pages in length, due his/her Committee no later than February 1st.
1. proposal topics may be in areas considered to be ‘out-of-field’ or ‘in-field’ (i.e., to include the area of the thesis research); in either case, however, this should be clearly identified;
2. Candidates in the MCCB program are required to choose a proposal topic reflective of research that they will actually pursue in their thesis work;
3. for those not in the MCCB program, the choice of a proposal topic is left to the Candidate in direct consultation with and approval of his/her Advisor;
4. the research proposal must contain ideas that originate with the student.
2. The proposal must be prepared on standard letter-sized paper (8½ x 11), single-spaced; twelve-point font; one-inch margins; figures must be imbedded in the document and are included in the five page limit.
3. The proposal must conform to the following outline:
• Overview (1 page):
• First paragraph (0.5 page);
• identify the field of the proposal topic and briefly discuss any relationship between the proposal topic and the student’s thesis research;
• identify the critical question(s) that are addressed and why these are important;
• identify those features of the proposal that are original;
• Abstract (0.5 page).
• Proposal (maximum of five pages, including figures; excluding overview page):
• Specific aim(s) (0.5 pages);
• Background and significance (1 to 2 pages);
• Research design and methods;
• Impact statement (2 to 3 sentences).
• References (not included in page limit).
4. Each student must submit a list, of at least four suggested Faculty Members suitable to review the proposal, in order of preference, to the Department Office no later than the Monday before Thanksgiving the second year of graduate study, (e.g. for the 2007-08 academic year, Monday, November 19, 2007).
1. If non-CCB Faculty is/are requested, Candidates must have verified, in advance, the willingness of such Faculty Member to serve.
2. The Proposal Committee will be determined with due consideration of the respective Candidate’s recommendations, but necessarily may also comprise other Faculty Members.
3. The Committee will consist of two Faculty Members, other than the Advisor, at least one of whom is a member of the CCB Department.
4. The Advisor will not be present during the proposal defense/oral exam.
5. The Candidate should choose a proposal topic in consultation with his/her Advisor.
6. Final proposal must be submitted to the Candidate’s Committee Members by April 30th of the second academic year.

Specific Guidelines/Expectations for Organic Chemistry Oral Defense:

1. An oral defense date is to be scheduled by the Candidate, by the final Friday in May (e.g., for the 2007-08 academic year, Friday, May 30, 2008); the oral defense date is to be no later than June 15th.
1. The Candidate should be prepared to deliver an oral presentation of the proposal, no more than 30 minutes in length.
2. The Candidate should be prepared to answer questions concerning the proposal topic as well as in allied areas; questions of a more general nature, or of topical interest (e.g., current seminars) may also be asked.
2. At the end of the oral defense, the Committee will confer privately and complete the form, obtained by the Candidate in the Department Office.
1. the completed and signed form will become part of the Candidate’s academic record;
2. the written proposal and the Candidate’s oral defense will be graded, separately, as either pass/fail;
1. it is possible, that the written proposal and oral defense, receive different grades.
3. Candidate’s receiving a grade of fail on the written proposal may, at the discretion of the Committee, be allowed to submit a revised version of the proposal for reevaluation prior to the October 15th of his/her third year.
1. if the revised proposal is deemed unsatisfactory the Candidate will be required to undergo a ‘candidacy exam’ by December 1st of his/her third year.
1. the ‘candidacy exam’ will follow a format similar to the oral portion of the proposal defense, however, will focus on the Candidate’s research accomplishments, and will include the Advisor as well as the original Members of the Committee.
2. A Candidate must pass this ‘candidacy exam’ in order to continue in the CCB Graduate Program.
2. Candidate’s receiving a grade of fail on the oral portion of the exam may, in some cases, be required to improve their oral presentation skills through resources, such as the Bok Center and/or by giving presentations within the department. In other cases, Candidate’s may be required to undergo the ‘candidacy exam’—as outlined above.

Grading Sheet